If you've been dreaming of adopting the perfect companion pup, you can't go wrong with a Yorkshire Terrier adoption. Yorkies are known for their high intelligence, beaming personality, natural beauty and temperament. The only problem in adopting a Yorkie is deciding which one to get! After all, you've got quite a selection to choose from: male or female, young or old, and show dog or family pet.

Gender Considerations

If you don't have any experience with dogs, you may not think there's much difference between a male and female dog (other than the fact that females give birth). The truth is there are big behavioral differences and it's important to understand them prior to making an adoption decision.

One of those differences is aggression. In general, males tend to be more aggressive. They can't help it. It's a "male" thing and nature dictates that most male animals demonstrate domination to survive. Females on the other hand, tend to be more submissive unless they've just given birth to a litter of pups. As a mother (or dam), a female Yorkie could demonstrate as much aggressiveness as a male Yorkie (if not more) should it believe that her pups are threatened.

Another difference among canine genders is sexuality. If un-spayed or un-neutered, both genders exhibit behavior that you may not feel comfortable with. The male Yorkie for example, will seemingly try to mate with anything that moves while the female Yorkie in heat will 'position herself' to do the same. It doesn't matter what time of day or night it is, and it doesn't matter who you've invited for dinner. Un-spayed or un-neutered Yorkies follow this call of nature instinctively.

Role Considerations

What role will your Yorkie play? Will it perform in shows? Or will it be the family pet? If you want to exhibit your Yorkies in dog shows, be prepared to spend a **lot** of money and time preparing for the win. Aside from providing basic pet care, you'll have to expend a considerable amount of finances and energy toward beautifying the dog and training it. And you'll also need these resources to travel to where dog shows take place.

If you're planning to adopt a family pet, won't bear the same financial burdens, but you'll still need to follow a rigorous grooming schedule. Both short and long haired Yorkies demand daily brushing at least.

Age Considerations

Here, you're basically faced with two choices: young and old. For those who are willing to put in the time and effort to train them, young Yorkies make an excellent choice. Others who prefer a dog that already knows where to potty will of course prefer an older Yorkie. Both ages have present specific advantages and disadvantages.

Young Yorkies for example, are spunkier and open to learning new tricks. Their youthful ages suggests that they'll stick around for a while, and they'll eventually grow accustomed to even your own peculiar ways.

Older Yorkies on the other hand have probably already learned all the tricks that they care to. They might also have health conditions that need special tending to, and they may not be as affectionate as you'd like them to (hey, they're tired).